Passing These Hours
by Supercalifrajalistic
Summary: Inuyasha is routinely forced to wait for Kagome when she is at her school. Doing odd jobs for her mom keeps him busy while he's waiting. What starts out as merely a way to pass the time, gradually changes. Not romantic pairing
1. Chapter 1

Passing These Hours

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or it's characters**

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"Inuyasha, do you think you could give me a hand in the garden this afternoon?" Mrs Higurashi asked, as she meticulously scrubbed the lunch dishes. The hanyou had only been waiting for her daughter for an hour, and she could tell his patience was already wearing thin. He looked away from the staring contest he was having with the clock to meet her eyes. "Feh," he shrugged, "What do you need me to do?"

Mrs. Higurashi, deciding to take that as a yes, smiled cheerfully. "Well, I need to start turning the soil for this years' vegetables, and I thought a strong young man like you would be a big help. I have the seeds picked out already, but my back doesn't handle the shoveling as well as it used to."

Hiding a smile at the way his adorable ears perked up at her praise, she continued, "As soon as I'm done with these dishes I can show you where I want the garden."

Inuyasha nodded silently and went back to glaring at the clock.

A few minutes later, the bored hanyou was following Kagome's mother out to the shed and listening as she explained what she wanted done. He quickly became distracted by the shine in her eyes as she excitedly shared her gardening plans. As he watched her, a long forgotten memory surfaced...

_A little boy with silver hair and puppy ears_ _jumped and squealed as he happily helped his mother plant his __first__ garden! "Look momma, look! I can dig the ground good!" he shouted, claws ripping into the soil.__"Yes you can, my son," a soft voice encouraged. A beautiful woman smiled at him gently. "I'm so proud of you!"..._

Inuyasha looked up in surprise when he felt a hand on his arm. "Inuyasha?" Mrs. Higurashi asked in concern. "Are you alright?"

He nodded guardedly, shaking off the memory. "I better get started."

The woman thoughtfully asked no more questions, and after thanking him, headed back into the house to sort her seeds.

Inuyasha threw himself into his task with a vengeance, determined to make a large enough garden to feed Kagome's family for as long as they needed it. Thoughts of his childhood garden continued to plague him as he worked. He'd been so proud of that pitiful thing. It hadn't even lasted them halfway through the winter. He rammed the shovel into the ground and heaved like a man possessed. _This_ time there would be enough.

He was panting by the time he stopped. And looked. And gulped. Although he was a bit fuzzy on _exactly_ how big Kagome's mother had wanted her garden, he had a suspicion he may have gotten carried away. From the house, to the edge of the property, there was a ten foot wide swath of destruction. The hanyou's ears slowly lowered, as he imagined what Kagome's mother would say. He heard her coming toward the door and dread pooled in his stomach.

Mrs. Higurashi stepped outside and stopped, eyes widening at the sight before her. She gazed silently at her mangled yard, before glancing at the shamefaced boy. Her eyes softened when she caught sight of his drooping ears, and the tiniest of smiles graced her face. "Thank you Inuyasha," she said sweetly, smile blooming when he looked up in shock. "I never could have done this much on my own." She crossed over and gently squeezed his arm. "We'll have enough food to last us through the winter." Her smile was filled with sincerity, and Inuyasha felt himself straightening proudly. Both turned to quietly survey his handiwork before they were interrupted by Kagome's "_I'm hooome" _

Inuyasha quickly picked up the tools and returned them to the shed while Mrs. Higurashi went indoors to welcome her daughter.

That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Kagome's mother smiled in amusement as she looked out into the darkened yard. Shaking her head wryly, she crossed over to her shopping list, and added _seeds_ to the list in bold letters.

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**A/N: **The first time I posted this, I uploaded it wrong... Here is the whole version...


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or it's characters**

A Little Favor

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Inuyasha huffed in annoyance. The wench was going to be home late from school yet _again. _Eying the kitchen clock with distaste he tapped his claws on the counter, grumbling under his breath_. _

A knock at the door disrupted his murmurings. He heard Kagome's mother greet the visitor, and he strained to catch the hurried conversation that followed. Ears slowly flattened as he listened, and with a look of growing horror he crossed the kitchen. Making a beeline for the back door, he focused on his escape.

"Inuyasha?"

He cringed, turning reluctantly. Mrs. Higurashi stood next to the kitchen counter looking at him pleadingly. Clinging tightly to her hands were two decidedly unhappy children. The little girl appeared to be seconds away from crying, and her brother was glaring at him mutinously. Inuyasha opened his mouth to make his excuses, but Kagome's mother jumped in quickly.

"Inuyasha, I know that children are not necessarily your _thing_, but do you think that you could help me for an hour or two?" Ignoring the slow shake of his head, she continued. "Normally I wouldn't even ask, but I was already running behind, and we're having some friends over tonight for a special dinner, and I _still_ need to get my grocery shopping done for that. I would've told Akiko that I couldn't take the kids today, but she was desperate..."

Mrs Higurashi had started her explanation normally enough, but as she continued, she grew more emotional, and by the end, her voice had developed a definite wobble. Inuyasha grew distinctly uncomfortable as he pictured Kagome's mother bursting into tears in the middle of the kitchen.

"Keh," he grumbled, "I'll watch them for you." He missed the secret smile that crossed her face, but he couldn't ignore the satisfaction that suffused her scent. Eyes narrowed suspiciously at the woman who was crossing purposefully towards the refrigerator. "Thank you so much Inuyasha! I'll just get them set up with a snack, and then I can head out to the store. I'll try to make it a fast trip."

In minutes she had the silent children sitting at the table with cookies. Much sooner than Inuyasha was prepared for, she was heading toward the door. "Atsuko, Junichi, I want the two of you to make sure you listen to Inuyasha alright? The children nodded obediently, but Inuyasha was skeptical. The girl looked too mousy to be much trouble, but the boy had a defiant gleam in his eyes.

* * *

In the silence that followed Mrs. Higurashi's exit, the remaining three sized one another up. The little girl was the first to break the silence. "Why do you have puppy ears?" she asked, eyes focused on the fuzzy triangles. Inuyasha froze. "Uh...they're just a...um...costume..." he explained lamely. The boy snorted, even as his sister cooed. "I think they're cute!" she said, inching closer to the half-demon. Junichi laughed outright as he watched their reluctant babysitter edge away from his sister. "You're stupid Atsuko," he said scornfully. "That's the dumbest costume I've ever seen. Why would a teenager want to dress up like a _dog_ anyway? Is something wrong with you mister?"

Inuyasha glared at the sneering boy. He had to stifle the urge to smack him in the head in the same way that he would Shippo. Instead he folded his arms and stared impassively.

"Keh, just eat your snack, kid."

Something was off about these two. Their scents were more sad than they should be, and the boy in particular was _radiating_ hurt, and defensiveness. Inuyasha growled low in his throat. He wasn't interested in getting into the middle of anybody's problems. Glancing anxiously at the clock, he hoped Kagome's mother would hurry.

"I finished with my cookies. Can we play a game?" Atsuko asked sweetly. Inuyasha shrugged. "Sure, go ahead."

Her lower lip went out. "But I wanted _you _to play too." she whined. "We can play house! Junichi can be my husband and you can be our new doggie!" Inuyasha's eyes widened comically, even as he shook his head. "Sorry, no way. I'm not going to pretend to be your dog."

Junichi protested as well. "I don't want to play house Atsuko. If you want to, play by yourself."

The little girl's dark eyes began to fill. "But daddy always-"

"Let's go outside and explore." Junichi interrupted harshly. Without waiting for an answer, or permission, he left, Atsuko trailing after him. Inuyasha sighed and heaved himself up to follow his charges.

Exploring didn't hold the children's attention for long, and soon Junichi was forcing his sister to stick-fight with him. Inuyasha smirked as he watched the boy's clumsy attacks. "You'd never kill anything fighting like that, kid," he said in a bored tone. Junichi shot him an angry glance. "What would _you_ know," he muttered.

"More than you think." Inuyasha answered, stepping in front of Atsuko, Tetsusaiga still in it's sheath, but raised.

The boy stopped and stared at him. "You have a sword? A _real _one?" For the first time since they'd met, there was a glimmer of respect in Junichi's eyes. Inuyasha nodded proudly. "My old man left it to me when he died." Junichi froze, and Inuyasha panicked when he smelled salt in the air. Turning to Atsuko, he cringed.

Tears filled her eyes and slid down her chubby face. "My daddy died too," she whispered softly. "Momma said he's not coming back." Inuyasha's heart tightened painfully at the tearful admission. Glancing at the boy, he took in the stiff stance, tightly clenched jaw, and averted eyes. He searched his mind for something comforting to say, or do, but was unable to come up with anything. He _wanted_ to tell them to be strong, that they'd get over it, but the words sounded hollow. And in the back of his mind, he remembered what this kind of hurt felt like.

Sighing he clumsily scooped up Atsuko and walked over to the tall tree in the middle of the yard. Sinking down between it's roots he got comfortable. The little girl snuggled down into his arms as she continued to cry quietly. Junichi trailed after them in silence, his defiant mask stripped away. "Come here kid." Inuyasha patted the ground next to him. The boy looked torn for a second, but his need for comfort overcame his reservations, and he scooted next to the hanyou.

Inuyasha cleared his throat nervously, drawing the eyes of both of the children. "I know it doesn't seem like it right now...but you're both going to get through this," he said gruffly.

Junichi and Atsuko watched him as he stared at the leaves fluttering above them. He hadn't said anything all that special, but he had meant what he said. He'd lost his dad too, and he was doing alright...maybe, some day, they would be alright too. In the mean time, they had their mother, each other, and their new friend. Inuyasha twitched when he felt two little heads resting against him, and he tamped down the urge to run from their need. Fixing his gaze on the sky, he forced himself to relax as the children drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A dark head peeked around the entrance of the shrine. Mrs. Higurashi blinked back tears, even as she congratulated herself. A quick phone call was all it had taken. Akiko had been grateful for her suggestion, eager to offer the children a measure of comfort. They had needed someone who understood, and Inuyasha...he needed to be needed.

She was tiptoeing quietly across the courtyard, when she felt his stare. Turning, she met his gaze squarely, and allowed a gentle smile to cross her face. His expression morphed from suspicious to vaguely defensive, before he dropped his gaze back to the children. She may not have seen the slight softening in his eyes, but she did catch the way his arms tightened protectively around them. With a sad smile, she walked inside and closed the door.

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**A/N: **Believe it or not, this chapter wasn't going to be a serious one but, there it is. I know it's sad, but I do like that they draw comfort from one another. Writing-wise, critiques are welcome. It is what it is I guess.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or it's characters**

Weakness

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Inuyasha frowned, trying to figure out how these things kept happening to him_._

He was a wild, strong, untamed warrior. Not a pet_. Not a toy. _Yet here he was, lugging Junichi and Atsuko around the Higurashi shrine like a glorified pack mule.

A low growl escaped him when Junichi flicked one of his ears and shouted, "Faster Inu-kun!"

Why was he doing this again?

He gazed down at the beaming, little girl in his arms. The only reminders of her previous displeasure were a red nose, and the barest smell of salt.

Raising his head, he smirked as he caught a delicious scent floating through the air. Mrs. Higurashi waved from the open kitchen window, a faint smile on her face, and held up a steaming bowl of ramen.

He huffed quietly, shaking his head. Pathetic.

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**A/N: **Yes it's short, but that's all I can do at the moment. Sorry! :) I still think I like how it turned out though. As always, constructive criticism is welcomed. *I posted this yesterday, and then realized I didn't like how the last couple of lines flowed. Here's the "revised" version.*


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or it's characters**

Sweet

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"You help _me_, Inu-kun," Atsuko declared in an authoritative voice.

Mrs. Higurashi chuckled as she watched the four year old ordering a fearsome half-demon around with a bossiness that could rival Kagome. Souta, Junichi, and Atsuko had been helping her make the special western dessert that everyone in her family, and in particular Kagome, enjoyed. Donuts were a favorite in the Higurashi household. When Inuyasha joined them, Atsuko had immediately grabbed his hand, pulled him to her spot and put him to work. The hanyou seemed willing enough to help once he tasted the delicious treats.

Mrs. Higurashi eyed the growing number of donuts next to the pan. It was easy to see who had made what. Souta's were perfect, a testament to his years of practice, and Junichi's were surprisingly normal looking. Inuyasha and Atsuko... theirs had a bit more...character. Smashed, scrunched and stretched, they were a thing to behold. It didn't really matter though, for as fast as they cooled, Inuyasha and the others were devouring them. Shaking her head at their lack of self-control, she cautioned the younger ones.

"No more now, children. We need to make sure there's enough for Kagome when she gets home."

Inuyasha's ears perked up. Hands that had been carelessly tossing finished cut-outs toward her, stilled. "Here kid," he ordered, eyes intent as he helped Atsuko press down evenly with her cutter. With cautious movements, he extracted the perfect donut and carried it to Mrs. Higurashi.

"This one's nicer than those," he said, handing it to her. She smiled, and with a small word of thanks, dropped it into the oil. Despite her best efforts not to read too much into it, her heart melted, just the tiniest bit, at the thought behind the gesture.

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Later that afternoon, when Kagome walked into the kitchen, her mother quietly placed the chosen donut before her. She smiled at the surly hanyou who loitered in the doorway. "Thanks again for helping me with these, Inuyasha," she said, voice casual. On her way out the door, she caught the look of surprise on her daughter's face. "Wow Inuyasha, I'm impressed! These are _really_ good!"

Kagome's mother swallowed a laugh as she walked past the blushing half-demon. Kagome was obviously giving him more credit then was due, but, remembering the attention he'd paid that one little donut, Mrs. Higurashi was loathe to set her straight. Instead she continued about her daily work, visions of grandchildren with cute, little, puppy ears, running through her head.

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**A/N:** I have _no_ idea where this came from, so let me know if you thought it was terrible. I tried to keep Inuyasha in character...ish but I'm not sure if I succeeded.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters**

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"Pleeease, Inu-kun!" A childish voice pleaded and wide, dark eyes looked upward beseechingly. The hanyou refused to meet Atsuko's gaze as he shook his head. "No," he said, voice firm as he folded his arms, "I don't do that girly crap." He shot a glare at the two boys snickering on the couch.

"Tea's ready," Mrs. Higurashi announced, sailing in with a loaded tray. She carried it straight to a little, fold-out table that was set with tiny, flowered dishes. "Come sit dear," she said, with a smile, pulling out a chair for Atsuko. The little girl slowly made her way to her seat, shoulders slumped in defeat. Mrs. Higurashi watched her quietly, as she poured tea into the small cups.

"Thank you very much for inviting me to your tea party Atsuko," she said, passing a plate of fresh cookies to the child. "It's very kind of you to want to share something that is so special to you." A quick glance at Inuyasha showed his ears were cocked at odd angles, although his face was turned away. Encouraged, she continued.

"Especially something that you did with your father."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw Inuyasha twitch. "Did you have tea parties with him often?" she asked gently.

Atsuko nodded, eyes solemn and sad. "Friday was tea party day, and as soon as Daddy got home from work, he would sit down and have tea with me and my animals. He told me tea party day was his favorite day." Her lip quivered, but she managed not to cry. After a moment she finished in a whisper. "This is my first tea party day in a long time."

Mrs. Higurashi reached over and patted the pudgy hand that was clenched on the table. The scraping of a chair being pulled out broke the silence as their silver-haired hanyou joined them. Atsuko's eyes lit up when he held his cup out to her.

"Alright kid, give me some of your tea," he said with a halfhearted smirk.

With a blinding smile, the little girl handed the cup to Mrs. Higurashi and grabbed the plate of cookies. "You need some of these too Inu-kun! I maked them." He grunted and took one, making sure he ate the cookie in it's overly sweet entirety. "Mmm" he said, when he saw she was waiting for a verdict. If possible, her smile grew wider, and she heaped his plate full of cookies.

"These are special, just for _you_ Inu-kun,"

Inuyasha winced, and, unable to hurt the Atsuko's feelings, forced himself to eat each and every one. Later that night as he nursed a colossal stomach ache, he realized he had only himself to blame...and perhaps Kagome's mother...

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**A/N: **Sorry it's been a while. The kids and I have been taking turns getting sick, so I haven't had much drive to do anything beyond basics. Hope you enjoy this, admittedly short blurb. Review if you like.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or it's characters**

**Oh So Pretty**

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"...And here's one of Inuyasha and the kids," Kagome said, smiling as she showed her "feudal family" some of the pictures she'd recently taken.

Miroku grinned teasingly at the grimacing hanyou. "My, my, Inuyasha, I never would have thought that color would look so good on you." His eyes twinkled as the dog demon began to growl. "And the ruffle is _quite_ becoming. I think you should-"

"Shut up," Inuyasha snarled, ripping the picture away from the monk and retreating to a safe distance. Kagome shook her head reprovingly at Miroku.

"You shouldn't tease," she chided, eyes shooting sparks as she rose to Inuyasha's defense. "Junichi and Atsuko's father died last year, and they've kind of latched on to Inuyasha. He's just trying to help them."

The monk sobered as he listened to her explanation, and he saw the others glancing sympathetically at the little faces in the pictures. This group understood the loss of loved ones. His eyes met Sango's, and he saw her look meaningfully at the hanyou who continued to stand apart. Hoisting himself upward, he crossed to his friend.

"Inuyasha," he began humbly, "I apologize for disparaging your manliness. Indeed, if anyone _could _look like a man in that outfit, it would be y-oww!" He rubbed the back of his head which had been rather rudely introduced to Inuyasha's fist. "What did I say?"

"Shut up," the hanyou growled again, but this time with no real heat. The others shook their heads at the irrepressible monk and went back to flipping through pictures.

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**A/N: **I spent quite a while trying to get everything I wanted into this chapter, and after a thousand some words, finally got most of what I was looking for as far as content. Unfortunately, I wasn't happy with how most of it flowed. Therefore I brutally slashed it down to this 275 I actually liked. I may incorporate the rest later, but I need to find someone to bounce ideas off of first. Hope you enjoyed this short visit with old friends.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or it's characters**

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**Moving Forward**

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White ears drooped as he slowly approached the hidden grave site. He made quick work of the overgrowth that threatened to cover the solitary marker. Inuyasha's claws absently traced over the scratches etched into the rock. For so long this had been his way of keeping track.

_...So many years..._

He tensed as unwanted memories came flooding back. Days without food. Weeks of scattered sleep only found in the relative safety of the treetops. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he focused on his task. After placing a branch of fragrant, pink blossoms in front of the slab of stone, he cleared his throat.

…

"I'm sorry... I meant...meant to come back sooner." The hanyou's eyes lowered guiltily. "I didn't forget!" He quickly defended. "I couldn't... and then didn't...but I'll never forget about you."

…

"Okaasan, there's this girl... She's crazy and I don't understand her at all." His expression softened as he explained his first _real _friend to his mother. He told her of Souta and Kagome's grandfather as well, but when he began to describe her mother, his gaze grew pensive.

"Kagome told me about a special day for mothers. It's not that I want her to take your place...but...she reminds me of you Okaasan. Please...don't be upset."

With that desperate plea, Inuyasha bolted in a blur of red and silver, and the clearing was silent once more.

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi was habitually an early riser, and was rarely bested by her children, but one morning a year, she could never seem to beat them. _This _morning was no different. Entering the kitchen to make her morning tea, she was met by the sight of her two smiling children, standing next to the table set for breakfast and tea.

"Happy Mother's Day Okaasan!" They sang out in unison. She blinked back tears and smiled brightly as she grabbed them both for an impromptu family hug. "Thank you," she whispered, pressing a soft kiss on each of their heads. "I couldn't ask for more wonderful children."

Kagome and Souta beaming with pride, sat down to join her for breakfast. After their leisurely meal, they had to rush to get ready for school, but in a short time they were hurrying out the door.

Mrs. Higurashi waved them off cheerfully and set about cleaning up the mess. When she opened the back door to take out the trash, her eyes caught a flash of color and widened in surprise. Resting on her step was a small branch filled with sweet-smelling white flowers. And tucked under the door was a scrap of note paper with one word scrawled on it in awkward, oversized letters. _Arigatou._

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**A/N: **Sorry that it's been so long as far as updates go... To be honest, I'd pretty much decided to leave the story where it was, but I think this is a sweeter, more appropriate ending. I'd actually completely forgotten that I wrote this chapter! For those of you who were enjoying the story...forgive me, and thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


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